Digital media content distribution services continue to grow at an astonishing rate in response to the evolution of modern data communications networks that can facilitate high-speed data transfers for vast amounts of digital media content data. Whether digital media content distribution occurs over wireline networks, such as fiber-optic or cable networks, or over wireless networks, such as 3G, 3GPP LTE, LTE Advanced, or 4G cellular networks, the trend of increasing distribution service capacity and flexibility remains a key objective for most media content service providers. Over the past decade, consumer exposure to state-of-the-art digital media content distribution and playback technologies (e.g., digital video recorders (DVRs), multi-function cellular phones, PDAs, satellite radio and television devices, e-books devices, etc.) has created a significant demand for improved digital media content delivery services.
These new technologies have revolutionized the way consumers procure and utilize a wide variety of digital media content. A non-exhaustive listing of modern digital media content types, include: movies, TV programs, home video, software applications, video games, podcasts, music, e-books, etc. Most distribution services for these media content types occur over the Internet at media content provider website stores (e.g., Apple® I-Tunes™, Microsoft® Zune™, and Amazon® Kindle™ Stores) or over proprietary cable, fiber-optic, satellite, and cellular networks provided by various media content services providers (e.g., Comcast® Digital Cable, Verizon® FIOS™, DirectTV®, Sirius® XM Radio™, and AT&T® Wireless).
Many popular digital distribution services allow consumers to select and download digitized media content files to personal computers or set-top boxes where they can later be manually selected for upload to a variety of portable media playback devices to facilitate future media content playback. These autonomous playback devices free consumers from having to remain connected to a particular communications network in order to enjoy their digital media content. Most popular media playback devices (e.g., the Apple® I-Phone™ and I-Pod™, or the Amazon® Kindle™) are provided with many Gigabytes of non-volatile memory (e.g., Flash Memory) that allows the playback devices to maintain local repositories for significant amounts of purchased, or otherwise acquired, digital media content.
In order to facilitate digital media content acquisition and autonomous playback on portable media content playback devices, users having the playback devices have typically followed the same common three-step model:                1) Select one or more digital media content files to download from a media content distribution service provider (also referred to herein as a Media Content Provider or MCP);        2) Initiate download of selected digital media content files to a powerful personal computing device, such as a desktop or laptop computer; and        3) Manually select downloaded digital media content files from the personal computing device to upload to a portable media content playback device.        
By way of example, one very popular media content distribution service that follows the above three-step model is the Apple's® I-Tunes™ application integrated with the online I-Tunes™ Store. A user having an I-Phone™ or an I-Pod™ device can execute their local I-Tunes™ application, resident on a personal desktop or laptop computer, and then elect to connect their I-Tunes™ application to the I-Tunes™ Store via the Internet. Once connected to the I-Tunes™ Store, a user can then utilize their integrated I-Tunes™ application's user interface to 1) Select one or more digital media content files to download to their desktop or laptop computer.
As would be understood by those familiar with the I-Tunes™ products and services, when the local I-Tunes™ application is connected with the I-Tunes™ Store, the interface of the I-Tunes™ application is integrated with the I-Tunes™ Store website interface, such that a user can view a web-based catalog of downloadable digital media content through their local I-Tunes™ application interface. The Apple® I-Tunes™ Store generally distributes media content relating to: digitized music, movies, podcasts, games, software applications, audiobooks, e-books, etc. After selection of various digital media content, a user can then purchase the media content directly from the I-Tunes™ Store using a credit card or other payment method, and 2) Initiate downloading of the purchased digital media content to their desktop or laptop computer memory using the integrated I-Tunes™ interface.
When the digital media content has finished downloading to a user's desktop or laptop computer, the user is then able to selectively generate a personal library of procured media content for upload to their I-Phone™ or I-Pod™ device. Next, a user can connect their I-Phone™ or I-Pod™ device to their desktop or laptop computer (e.g., via USB cable) in order to Synchronize their portable playback device with the I-Tunes™ application. Subsequently, a user is able to 3) Manually upload the selected digital media content (their upload library) from their desktop or laptop computer to their connected I-Phone™ or I-Pod™ device utilizing the I-Tunes™ application interface.
The I-Tunes™ service is an elucidating example of the common three-step media content distribution model, which emphasizes a number of inherent procedural deficiencies associated with modern media content distribution services. One weakness of the three-step model is that user input and management of media content distribution is required at every step of the process in order to initiate media content transfers amongst the media content provider, the personal home computer (e.g., a desktop or laptop computer), and the end-receiving portable media content playback devices. Unfortunately, consumers who utilize this model need to be reasonably tech-savvy in order to properly navigate (and optionally transform) their purchased media content from online source to portable playback destination.
For example, in order to acquire digital media content on their portable playback devices, consumers are typically required to be able to do all of the following: log on to a media content provider store; select compatible media content for purchase; purchase the selected media content; designate a local destination address on their home computer (e.g., on their desktop or laptop computer) where the media content is to be stored; initiate the media content download; connect their portable playback device to their home computer storing the downloaded media content; select their home computer's media content source location, where the downloaded media content resides; optionally, reformat the media content to be compatible with a particular playback device; select the attached playback device as the recipient device for a media content upload; and initiate the upload from their home computer to their portable playback device.
For many tech-savvy consumers these media content procurement and distribution procedures are not very difficult, however, for large numbers of consumers who are not very computer-literate, these procedures can be daunting or even prohibitive. Accordingly, large populations of potential consumers, having lower levels of computer literacy, are deterred from entering the digital media distribution marketplace because of the required technology aptitude and the relative complexity of most modern media content distribution services. These individuals often continue to purchase more expensive physical playback media (e.g., DVDs or CDs) that can be easily inserted into simple, dated playback devices (e.g., DVD or CD players) that only require one playback step after medium insertion: hitting a “play” button on a playback device.
Another shortcoming associated with modern digital media content distribution services is that there are inherent network limitations created by allowing consumers to selectively determine during which periods of time media content transfers should occur. The communications networks involved in the data transfers are necessarily sized to handle peak usage data transfer periods for the network's collective users. These peak usage periods are determined by aggregate network user behaviors over hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly intervals. When large numbers of network users simultaneously transfer particularly burdensome media content files, such as high definition audiovisual files, networks can become congested. This congestion can negatively affect cumulative network throughput as well as the Quality of Service (QOS) and the Quality of Experience (QOE) for most network users.
To remedy the problems associated congestion and the lack of network capacity (e.g., available network bandwidth) during peak usage periods of operation, network service providers often commit to expensive, time-consuming technology additions and/or upgrades. These network enhancements serve to alleviate network congestion periods and to avoid persistent customer service calls from irritated customers.
Even though certain networks routinely experience periods of extreme congestion during peak usage data transfer periods, these same networks often experience periods of excess, wasted bandwidth during off-peak data transfer periods. Although, costly network enhancements can alleviate peak periods of congestion in most networks, these enhancements also create an increased surplus of wasted bandwidth during off-peak periods. It is therefore advantageous to consider new ways to utilize existing network resources in order to efficiently balance daily bandwidth usage over a data communications network routinely experiencing network congestion, and to avoid unnecessarily expending service provider resources.
Another drawback with modern digital media content distribution services is getting the media content (e.g., pixel-based video content having resolutions associated with set aspect ratios) to properly display on desired playback devices, such as large-format, high-definition televisions or home theaters. Generally, if an original media content is downloaded from a media content provider to a personal desktop or laptop computer in a consumer's home or office, then the media content will likely need to be reformatted and uploaded (e.g., via direct connection with a USB cable or via a local wireless area network, such as a Wi-Fi™ network) to one or more portable playback devices in order to be properly displayed on the end playback devices.
To date, there have been several attempted solutions to this local media content reformatting and redistribution problem, including: relocating personal desktop computers from a home office to a television room (e.g., a living room) in order to facilitate local reformatting through direct connection with both portable and non-portable playback devices, along with facilitating wireless (e.g., via a local Wi-Fi™ network) home redistribution of re-formatted media content. Unfortunately, these attempted solutions each have inherent drawbacks and added complexity (particularly for individuals having low computer literacy) that has limited consumer acceptance and adoption of these techniques. Problems may further be compounded if a consumer attempts to take their digital media content with them during travel, to continue watching or listening to particular media content as they change locations and switch amongst different media playback devices. Under these scenarios, it becomes exponentially more difficult for non tech-savvy users to enjoy their media content in varying settings employing an assortment of different playback devices.
Another problem with modern digital media content distribution services is that data transfer processes are tied to particular physical locations where intermediary desktop or laptop computers reside (e.g., computers running local media content distribution client software, such as the Apple® I-Tunes™ application). In these static settings, a designated access network may often be disrupted by connection failures, timeouts, or relocation of network attachment points for a download destination device. As digital media content file transfer sessions become increasingly burdensome (e.g., media content files become increasingly large), the frequency and periods for these potential disruptions can stretch over hours or even days. One method of handling this problem over select networks (e.g., cellular networks) has been to restrict a media content transfer file size (and therefore quality) to a size that a particular access network can handle in a tractable time period (e.g., complete file transfers within a few hours). This approach not only limits the quality of the media content that can be delivered to consumers, but it also limits the number of consumers that are even be able to acquire desired media content types.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have improved digital media content distribution systems and services that simplified a user's experience in procuring and enjoying digital media content. It would be beneficial if these solutions offered the less tech-savvy consumer a practical means for flexibly obtaining digital media content in response to simple system detection events, such as a device plug-in event or an automatic wireless communications activation event. Further, it would be desirable if these solutions were highly portable and dynamic in nature, such that a user could readily switch media content delivery tasks between various personal computing devices and both media content delivery and playback functionality could be realized at local and remote locations. Additionally, it would be beneficial if these solutions were implemented to maximize available network resources at any given time, such that media content delivery scheduling could be directed towards periods of excess network bandwidth. Having flexible, mobile digital media content distribution solutions would cater to the needs of residential and commercial consumers, including consumers who frequently travel (highly mobile consumers) along with network service providers who wish to maximize their network's available resources.